Merle Point-Johnson

I also believe that communication should be consistent and all employees should take the course. Much of the violations seem to be attributed to a lack of knowledge, so the course would certainly be beneficial. 

I believe the difference between the two is mostly dependent upon the student's commitment and perspective. As an undergraduate student, I went to the traditional school and lived in dormitories. I enjoyed the experience and for me, at that time, it was the best solution as I was a traditional, 17-year old student. However, as a graaduate student, with different priorities, I appreciated the flexibility and convenience of the online platform. The difference to me is related to individual preferences, commitment level, motivation, and individual student goals. From the perspective of the teacher, I think that after teaching in a… >>>

There are definite pros and cons associated with group work (or teams) in the educational process. One of the biggest challenges to the group learning model is matching the motivation and commitment levels among students, who may actually be learning how to assess their own levels of motivation and commitment. Oftentimes students are returning to school after a long absence and their responsibilities are varied...other factors are also important, which includes generation (X'ers versus boomers, etc.), and most importantly educational goals. The team structure assumes that many of these factos are consistent and that may not always be the case.… >>>

I agree, this can be a significant challenge. Short courses encourage less "true" efforts and an over-focus (for lack of a better term) on outcomes (grades). Students may become grade oriented as opposed to knowledge oriented. This often results in cramming and short term memorization. However, I think that the structure of the course is pivotal in maximizing the overall learning in a short course. Perhaps the course should contain more hands-on experiments or student projects as opposed to papers and tests about textbook content. I think that offering alternatives to tests and papers may motivate students to appreciate the… >>>

Hello Melissa...

I actually agree with your assertions that students may become disengaged due to technology challenges. One thing that I have noticed at one of my prior institutions is - when there is a strong IT department and an on-boarding process that includes an introductory course (self-paced, non-credit)....students tend to fair better. Many of the students return to what is referred to as the "sandbox" for issues and frequently asked questions. That has really been a huge benefit for those who are not technology savvy. In addition, there were weekly live labs held to help new students navigate the… >>>